1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to special packaging for a fragile article and, more specifically, to the general type of package which includes an outer box and a hammock or cradle extending inside the box and supporting the fragile article.
2. Prior Art
In the package disclosed in Larsen U.S. Pat. No. 2,501,570, a fragile article to be packaged is sandwiched between upper and lower flexible thermoplastic films which have their outer margins heat-sealed or welded together. The margins of the sheets are draped over and are secured to the periphery of the base of a rigid box and the box can be closed by a separate lid. The fragile article is suspended inside the box by the stretched flexible plastic films.
My earlier U.S. Pat. No. 3,853,220 is directed to a package for a fragile article in which the central, article-enclosing portion of a supporting hammock is formed of thin, flexible thermoplastic material, but the opposite ends of the hammock are secured to rigid legs which, in the preferred embodiment, extend over opposite ends of the base of a rigid outer box. As a lid for the box is telescoped over the base, it engages the legs and swings them downward against the sides of the box base to stretch the flexible hammock extending between the upper parts of the legs.
British Pat. No. 237,322 discloses a package for fragile articles in which the article is inserted into a fabric sleeve which has its opposite end portions twisted and secured to the opposite ends of a rigid box base, such as by snugly fitting the twisted fabric ends in slots or apertures in the ends of the box base.
In the packaging disclosed in Kirkpatrick U.S. Pat. No. 2,956,672, a fragile article to be packaged is inserted into a tube of heat-shrinkable material which has its opposite ends attached to the inner upright sides of a box base by clips or clamps.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide a package for a fragile article in which the article is enclosed by a rigid box and is held out of contact with the box walls, but in a form which does not necessarily require a specially designed package and assembly procedure for each type of fragile article to be packaged.
It also is an object to provide such a package in a form that is simple to use and assemble.
Another object is to provide such a package that can be mass-produced.
A further object is to provide such a package in a form using a minimum of different components.
These and other objects are accomplished by the protective packaging in accordance with the present invention described in detail below.